Pauly: School Bond Feeding Frenzy Taps OC Property Valuations

ByDeborah Pauly |August 29, 2016

The Republican Party of Orange County unanimously voted to oppose all 6 property tax increases, also known as school facilities bond measures, that it considered during endorsement deliberations at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, August 15.

This list includes Orange Unified School District’s $288-million Measure S. Measure S is OUSD’s fourth attempt at duping voters into raising their own property taxes (and those of all their neighbors and surrounding businesses) for the next 30-years or more. Once interest is calculated, the cost to pay down the bond debt is about $600-million…just for this one bond.

Here is a list of all 10 local school facilities bond measures on ballots throughout Orange County this November. They total at least $2.471-billion. This will cost Orange County property owners at least $5-billion to pay back.

The bonds that are already opposed** by the OC GOP are include Brea-Olinda Unified, Capistrano Unified, Centralia, Fountain Valley and Westminster, in addition to Orange Unified. The remaining districts, Anaheim Elementary, Garden Grove Unified, Huntington Beach and Ocean View, will be considered at a special meeting of the Republican Party called for August 31. Most of these districts are already carrying bond debt.

Adding insult to an already potentially injurious November election, there is also California Proposition 51, a $9-billion (Billion with a B) statewide school bond that will cost about $18-billion to pay off.

A veritable feeding frenzy is taking place in the State of California, which may explain the unprecedented nature of the OC GOP vote in mid-August. There was not a single voice speaking out to defend these bonds. It was a unanimous vote to oppose them all. They are so staggering in numbers and dollar amounts.

This is truly a ruthless attack on taxpayers, property owners, renters and businesses in the guise of school bond measures. Bond financiers, sellers and consultants are salivating at the thought of further tapping into the property valuations here in Orange County. At least half – sometimes much more — of the new property taxes collected will line their pockets.

Lest readers think this is an issue only of partisan concern, I’d urge them to look into Democrat California State Treasurer John Chiang’s crack down on the “Pay to Play” nature of these bond scams, which he has characterized as corrupt.

Do you know why he called them corrupt? Because they are. It excites me to be in agreement with a Democrat over something.

Deborah Pauly is an elected member of the Republican Party of Orange County, representing the 68th Assembly District and a former Councilwoman in the City of Villa Park. She is currently serving as Principal Officer of the Stop the Rip-Off! No on Measure S! campaign committee.

Opinions expressed in editorials belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.

Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please contact Voice of OC Involvement Editor Theresa Sears at TSears@voiceofoc.org

Deborah Pauly, who is also a candidate for state assembly, was arrested after crashing her Porsche into a parked pickup truck. She also acknowledged making comments about the 9/11 terrorist attacks that the arresting officer might have construed as anti-Muslim.

Has Deborah Pauly insisted the body camera footage be released to clear her name of racism and drunken rants?

You certainly should establish your credibility first before you offer any advice on education. We will all wait with baited breath for that footage.

Now on to the issue at hand; Measure S. No one, including Pauly, has presented the argument that the schools are NOT in a state of disrepair. The fact is the schools are outdated, dilapidated, and have major safety concerns. Pauly’s argument is all taxes are a fraud – all taxes. I envision her jumping up and down pumping her fists like a spoiled child – just saying no, no, no.

What you don’t hear from Pauly is a plan. It’s easy to say no. It’s easy to say there should be a better way. It’s easy to say you don’t like taxes. What is tough is to be a leader. What is tough is to have a plan. What is tough to lay out a step-by-step vision to show exactly how you are going to improve the schools.
How will you correct the safety issues? How will you secure the campuses? How will you replace the scores of buildings years beyond their designed life span? How will you fix campuses housing hundreds of kids beyond what they were designed to house? How will you improve outdated science facilities?

Pauly stop ranting and raving and present a better plan.

Or just keep saying no, no, no, and let’s wait for an accident to happen.

David Zenger

“Bond financiers, sellers and consultants are salivating at the thought of further tapping into the property valuations here in Orange County. At least half – sometimes much more — of the new property taxes collected will line their pockets.”

Yep. It’s amazing what a free dinner and a bottle of decent wine can buy from your average school district trustee.

The cynical legislature knew exactly where the line was drawn – right around 54% when supported by a tsunami of educrat support. It’s still always pretty close. My advice is to do a few well-timed robo calls informing the district property owners of the facts.